


No Army

by rtaf



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Adventure, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kisses, M/M, Mystery, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 01:23:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7597924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rtaf/pseuds/rtaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray is on a mission to break a curse that has haunted his family for years. Luckily he meets Ryan, a villager in a small town with friends to share and a home to spare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Army

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One Shots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5781547) by [VideoPlay5178](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VideoPlay5178/pseuds/VideoPlay5178). 



> I gave myself an ultimatum yesterday, write the whole story in the same day or don't post it at all. Guess who accomplished her goal?
> 
> The pacing's a little rough so bear with me <3
> 
> *Just a note that there are two small mentions of vomiting.*

Ryan presses the button to activate his wipers, cranking the time between wipes to be faster. The rain continues to pour, hitting the roof of his car at full force. 

The whole vehicle smells like wet dog and he struggles to put up with the scent. He wishes he'd never left the house this afternoon. Being a responsible adult is significant annoying sometimes.

He notices someone sitting at the bus stop up ahead. He feels bad for the teenage-looking kid slumped over on the bench but continues driving to the grocery store. It's one of the worst storms Texas has had in awhile and Ryan hadn't anticipated it starting halfway along his drive.

He wonders why the guy's at the bus stop after hours. Maybe he's just waiting on a friend to pick him up or something. He considers the worst case scenario, that the guy is stranded, but pushes the thought aside. That's not his problem. 

 

The jacket he's wearing provides minimal coverage as he holds it over his head. He slams his car door behind him and sprints to the front porch of the shop. Once he's under the extended roof he shakes off his hair and jacket, tucking it under his arm before opening the door to go inside.

"Now who else would have been crazy enough to come here in this weather?" The cashier asks, looking over at Ryan from her post. "You're something else, Haywood."

Ryan chuckles, wiping his shoes on the welcome mat for longer than necessary before trudging over. "It's not like I had time to check the forecast, Turney."

He picks up a can of tomato juice that's on sale on the shelf next to him. It's a good price for the amount that's packed inside. He turns back to Meg and she's already got a basket on the counter for him.

"You're a doll," he thanks. Accepting the basket and dropping the can in.

He makes his way around the shop. It's not too big and everything inside is local so he feels good supporting the community by shopping there. He's nothing if not a firm believer in putting the crops to good use.

Ryan had grown up on a farm as a kid but abandoned it once his Mother died. It was more of his father's fault they abandoned it, having sold the farm to a friend. They moved up the road and never spoke of it again. Almost as if it had never existed.

He shakes off the bad memory and fills his basket with a few more things. By the time he returns to the cash he spots lightening outside the window, lighting up the sky with flashes of white and yellow.

Meg chews at her lip as she eyes the storm from the corner of her view, ringing up the cost of Ryan's purchases. "You sure you're going to be okay going back out there?" She asks, all signs of joking gone from her voice. 

Ryan smiles encouragingly, using a hand to swipe at the air as if it's no big deal. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. You, on the other hand should close up for the night. I doubt anyone else will show up. Go curl up with a good book and get some rest."

She lets out a puff of air from her nose, chuckling at his antics. Of course he'd say something like that. What was she expecting in response? She hands him the reciept and nods. "I'll do just that. Do me a favor and be careful, would you?"

Ryan gives her a thumbs up and collects his bags of items, stuffing them all into one hand so he can use the other for his jacket. He drapes the garment over his head, gets his keys out and takes a deep breath. 

Darting back out into the rain feels just as bad as it had earlier and he struggles to get into his car, keys fumbling in his hand before finally clicking to unlock the door. He slides inside and shuts it, sticking the key in the ignition.

This time when he gets back on the main roads, he drives more carefully. Significantly slower than he had on his way there. He passes the bus stop a few miles from the shop and the kid is still sitting there. Ryan checks his watch and decides to move the groceries from the front seat to the back, making room.

He pulls over to the side of the road, throwing open the door. "Get in," he yells over the pouring rain.

The kid jumps in place but quickly climbs in once he realizes he's being spoken to. Ryan takes note of how he doesn't have a coat or umbrella, just a backpack. He's shivering terribly but all Ryan has to offer his soaking jacket, so he turns up the heat and keeps driving.

His attempts at making conversation fall flat on his own tongue, for some reason finding himself unable to come up with anything intelligent to talk to the stranger about. The ride back home is much faster despite the speed and Ryan's pulling the kid and his groceries inside as quickly as possible.

Once inside he lets out a sigh of relief, finally safe from the downpour outside. He sets the grocery bags to the floor beside him and his guest stands still as Ryan starts removing his shoes.

"Take off your shoes and I'll show you to the bathroom. Do you have a spare change of clothes in there?" Ryan asks, pointing to the backpack. "If not I can lend you some to change into."

The kid slips off his shoes and shakes his head. "I have some, thanks."

Ryan expects him to say more but settles with that answer, leading the way to his bathroom. Once he hears the door lock he returns to his room to change quickly, just in case the kid he picked up isn't as trustworthy as he looks.

In a haste, Ryan pulls on a sweater and some checkered pyjama bottoms. They're the farthest from matching but they're both made of fleece so putting on his warmest pair is more important.

He hears the bathroom door creak open, now that the storm is more of a background noise. Ryan rounds the corner and holds a hand out for the boy to shake.

"I'm Ryan. You are?"

"Ray. Um these are wet so I don't know where to put them," he answers, holding out a ball of wet clothes.

He's changed into a different short sleeved top and shorts. Ryan has to stop himself from going to fetch a bundle of clothes to lend to the lad. He would probably come off too strong.

Instead, Ryan takes the ball and separates the articles of clothing. Stepping past Ray so he can drape them over the bath tub. "I'll leave them here to dry overnight. Meanwhile, you can stay in my spare bedroom."

Ray smiles at him, following him down the hall until they reach an open door. The room is pretty sparse. Just a bed, a side table and a lamp.

"If you need anything just give me a shout. I'm a pretty light sleeper," Ryan says. Bidding a final, "goodnight," before going to fetch the food from the front door.

Ray steps inside the small room, plopping down on the bed and crawling under the covers with his backpack. He likes to keep it close, especially in new environments. Ryan seems nice but who knows, they've only just met.

He lies on his back, eyes refusing to shut as his mind races. He can't fall asleep, not here, not tonight.

The thunder booms outside, keeping Ray company until the early hours of the morning when it starts to let up. The blinds are open so right as the sun starts to rise, the light shines into Ray's room. He watches the colors on the wall change until they blend to a solid yellow.

There's a knock on his door sometime after that. He hesitates before giving Ryan permission to come in.

"Hey, I'm making breakfast if you want some," Ryan greets, some sort of utensil in his hand and a warm smile on his face.

Ray starts salivating at the smells that make their way onto his room with the door now open. He pulls the straps of his backpack on and pads down the hall to the food.

Ryan sets down two bowls with brown sludge in them. Ray wants to ask what exactly he's shoving into his body but that might give his true identity away. 

He tries to go about it casually. "This is so good. What exactly do you call it?"

Ryan looks up from his bowl, studying Ray curiously for a moment. Did this kid just ask him what oatmeal is? What has he been living off of?

"Uh, it's just oatmeal. Have you... never had it before? I guess you aren't from here, are you?"

"No! I am! But I just have never had this stuff before," Ray replies, trying not to raise suspicion. "Oatmeal," he repeats under his breath, as if he's trying to remember what it's called.

Ryan chuckles, "alright, no problem. I'm glad you like it."

They eat the rest in a comfortable silence. Ray struggles to keep his eyes open after a night without sleep. Ryan continues to try and piece things together. Ray must be sheltered or something, eating off of a strict diet and not going out much.

Maybe he was being weakened on purpose? Ryan shudders at the thought. He's probably just reading into things.

"So, will you be okay to find your way home or do you need a ride somewhere?" He asks. "I know you were at the bus stop but I'm not sure where you were headed."

"I- no," Ray replies, cryptically.

Ryan furrows his brows. "No you don't need a lift or..." 

"Don't have a home. Not anymore."

Ryan's mouth falls open, but he recovers quickly. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Um, you can stay here at least another night if you need. We'll figure something out, okay? I'll do my best to help if you want some."

"Yes, thanks. You're way too nice."

 

The day passes by slowly for both men. Ryan does some chores around the house and Ray watches on from a distance. At one point Ryan hands him a dart and they play a few rounds.

Ray has an incredible eye for the bullseye. Every throw he makes is right on target. Ryan misses most of the time, hitting the outer ring more than anything else. His darts are all over the board at the end of the first round. Ray laughs at his attempts that don't reach the board at all and Ryan joins in, not a poor sport in the least.

 

Around suppertime Ryan decides to see if Ray knows anything about the tv. It's a longshot but if Ray doesn't know a lot about it Ryan's earlier suspicions will be almost fully confirmed.

He turns on the box and Ray's eyes go wide, a reflection of the screen falling over them as Ryan looks on from beside the television. He tries to get Ray's attention after that but the kid is too hooked on the show to notice.

Ryan brings their dinner to the living room, sitting on the opposite side of the couch after handing Ray a plate of vegetables and steak. He laughs quietly to himself as Ray scoops forkfuls into his mouth without looking.

He's definitely something special.

 

Ray is thankful Ryan lets him stay another night, retreating to bed after Ryan shuts off the tv and says goodnight. Unfortunately, as soon as his head hits the pillow, Ray falls asleep. He can't put it off for long, it's inevitable.

He falls into a deep sleep that paralyses him all night. In the dream he meets with his father, going back to the time when the man had packed his things and prepared to leave.

"Papa, no! Please. Por favor!" Ray cried, holding onto his father's pant leg.

His father pried him off, pressing a kiss to the head of his screaming son and muttering how Ray would have to do the same at some point.

The curse was a tough one, brought upon his family in the earliest times that they existed. It only rang true for the males of the family name. It's true, Ray didn't understand at the time but once he turned eighteen, was forced to do the same. The only difference being that he was more responsible, not having a child to leave behind.

He packed his things and was brought by a portal to earth, where he has only five weeks to search for a mate. If by the time the weeks are up he does not find someone, he'll be forced back to his planet to marry and sleep with a criminal to continue the cycle.

That isn't the end of it. If he succeeds in finding a mate on earth the remaining members of their family are killed off on the day of the wedding by a strange power, in order to complete the ceremony. 

He remains scared out of his mind, even to this day. Still having terrible recurring nightmares ever since he'd left home four moons ago. He traveled as far as he could without money until the kindness of stranger's wore off and he was forced to sleep on that bench for three nights.

Ray needed to break the curse once and for all. He wasn't looking forward to having to return and be forced into that life since he knew he would never find someone to truly love him.

The dream ends as it always does, with his grandmother locking the door behind his father and shoving Ray to the floor, pressing a swift kick to his stomach.

"Diablo," she spat, turning on her heel and walking up the stairs to her bedroom, a disgusted look on her face.

 

"Ray, oh my god," Ryan panics, rolling the boy's body onto his side. They're on the floor next to the bed, Ryan kneeling beside him. He'd gone in to check on Ray when a loud thud sounded from the guest bedroom.

Ray gasps, eyes opening as a wave of nausea rolls over him. A sharp cough forcing its way out of deep in his chest. Tears spring in his eyes as he tries to breath through it and keep the vomit from creeping up his throat.

This has never happened before and he tries to remain calm, tears falling from the corner of his eyes.

"Deep breaths," Ryan reminds, voice coming in clearly through the thickness of Ray's mind. Clarity in a foggy haze.

"Up," Ray manages to croak out, feeling too weak to do it himself.

Ryan carefully shifts Ray so he's sitting up, leaning him back against the bed and sitting next to him for support. Honestly, why this? He'd just wanted to help the poor kid at the bus stop. What has he gotten himself into?

Ray eases the nauseous feeling back down and finds his breathing. He eyes his surroundings warily as he comes back to himself.

"Sorry. This has never happened before. I don't know why... As soon as I can walk I'll get out of your home."

Ryan looks at him, narrowing his eyes. "Don't think you're getting out of here without an explanation, Ray. You were fine yesterday, although a bit sluggish from lack of sleep. Then today this?"

"I don't know," Ray replies, drawing his knees up to his chest and shivering lightly.

Ryan takes on a calmer tone in an attempt to make him more comfortable and less like he's being interrogated. If there's something he can do to help, he'd like to know.

"Okay. Well, did you have a bad dream?" Ryan tries, leaning his knee against Ray's.

"Uh, something like that. It's hard to explain so you'd understand."

"I'm willing to try if you want. Sometimes talking about the things on your mind helps."

Ray turns his head towards Ryan who offers him a small smile. It's hard to say no when he's obviously trying to help so persistently.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot. I just... need you to keep an open mind, okay?" Ray says, looking Ryan in the eyes. The features on his face giving away how hesitant he is about sharing what's bothering him.

If the harsh white light that begins emitting from his chest is any hint, then that's Ryan's first clue that there's more to Ray than meets the eye.

 

He cuts out a lot to avoid scaring Ryan off. Omitting the scary details about the curse and only telling him about his father leaving. It's not much of an explanation but it'll do, hopefully.

Ryan stays quiet beside him until he's done. Ray chances a glance at Ryan's face and is surprised when an arm pushes his knees down. He allows it to happen, curious about what's to come from this reaction.

Ryan wraps his arms around Ray from the side, giving him a tight squeeze and then relaxing his grip so Ray can pull away if he wants to. Ray takes a moment to respond. He's not an idiot, he know this is what's called a hug, but he'd never been a part of one before.

It feels a bit awkward from the angle but he rests a hand on top of the arm across his stomach. His chest tightens in a new way, a fond feeling growing in his chest at the caring touch.

Ryan releases his hold and scoots back, giving Ray some space as he speaks. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Is that why you said you have no home? You ran away?"

Ray nods, going along with that story. "Waited until I was eighteen and left. Only way I could."

Ryan looks Ray over again, surprised that the frail looking boy in front of him is apparently eighteen. He must have some sort of malnutrition because although his height matches up, his body mass is way too low to be normal.

"You're eighteen? Wow."

"How old are you," Ray asks innocently.

"Twenty four," Ryan admits, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pyjama pants.

Ray doesn't answer but hopes the smile on his face is enough to show Ryan that it's alright. He doesn't really care about age; he cares about the hospitality.

"Can't believe I'm saying this but I guess you can stay here until you're back on your feet. I won't make you pay rent but you'll have to get a job down at one of the shops if you ever want to be able to support yourself," Ryan says, standing up and offering Ray a hand.

He leads him into the kitchen and pulls out a chair for Ray to sit on. "I'll make us breakfast and if you're feeling up to it we can go check out who's hiring," Ryan continues. He hasn't forgotten about the outburst earlier and if Ray needs some extra time to put himself together, Ryan would understand.

"Thank you," is all Ray can think of to say in response. He's not a hundred percent sure he understands what's going on but he'll do his best to please his host.

He decides to try to enjoy his time on earth while he can.

 

They drive into town an hour after breakfast. Ray had changed back into his outfit from the bus stop at Ryan's request, because he wants Ray to make a good first impression.

It's not a very long search for employment because they only hit three stores. Luckily, third time's a charm.

"Sure I'll hire him. I've been meaning to hire someone else for a while now. Is he a good worker?" Meg asks, looking at Ray despite aiming the question at Ryan.

"The best," Ryan falsely assures her. He has faith in Ray but absolutely no idea about his work ethic.

Ray nods frantically, bobbing his head because Ryan's side eye and shoulder bump are strong indicators he should go along with it.

"Really good," he adds, using synonyms that fit the situation. A hard worker for what? Who knows. He'll probably figure it out.

"Awesome, well I'll write up a form you can fill out. Just some basic stuff, don't worry. Bring it back tomorrow morning at nine and we can start your training. I'll get you a uniform too. A small should fit," Meg says, thinking out loud. She pulls out a piece of paper to write down some questions for him to answer.

Ryan helps him fill it out at home. Supplying answers to questions Ray doesn't have the information for. The only parts he knows are his full name, birthday and age.

"What's my phone number? Wait, what is an address? Is that like clothes?"

Ryan takes pity on Ray, pulling up a chair beside him at the kitchen table. Their arms press together from the closeness and Ray groans out of frustration as he reads a section asking him to list his strengths.

"Write down sleeping, darts and breathing," he deadpans, making Ryan chuckle. 

Ray's lips twitch into a small smile. He drops his head onto Ryan's shoulder and watches him fill out that section with words like trustworthy and caring.

"I'll save that for the end," Ryan replies, jokingly. "Is there something else I can add to this or should we move on?"

"Uh I don't know if this good but I'm open to... What's the word where people tell you you're bad at something but you can't get mad at them?" Ray snaps his fingers, trying to remember the term.

Ryan fills it in easily, "criticism. Constructive criticism. Sure, that works."

It only takes a couple more minutes to complete with Ryan's help. He makes it into a game, goofing around with answers until the form is filled out. "Look at that, we did it!" Ryan celebrates, tossing the pen down onto the table. 

"Good. Now can we eat lunch?"

 

The third night in Ryan's house passes similar to the second one. Ray falls asleep but this time when he wakes up Ryan is standing at his open door with a glass of water and some pills. Ryan had made a suggestion before they went to bed that Ray should leave his door open in case something happens during the night.

He agreed, not wanting to wake up in a pool of his own bile and tears. Slowly, he spins his legs off the edge of the bed and makes his way over to the host. He accepts the water but eyes the pills wearily.

Ray doesn't have much knowledge or experience with pills on his own planet, let alone here. "I don't want to take that," he says simply, gulping down the whole glass of water and handing it back to Ryan. "No thank you."

Ryan holds the hand with the two white tablets up in surrender, stepping aside so Ray get out. He watches Ray turn the corner to go to the kitchen and realizes something.

"Hey, Ray? Have you used the bathroom since you got here on the first day? Or bathed at all?"

Ray grabs an apple from the basket and holds it up, waiting until Ryan nods, giving him permission to take a bite. He chews the red fruit between speaking. "I don't know what you mean."

Ryan exhales shakily, realizing that Ray must be the one doing his business out in the yard and not the neighbourhood cat. "Okay we need to have a talk about that. Let me explain."

It doesn't take more than a few well explained sentences for Ray to realize Ryan's bathroom is what people from where he's from call a private sanctuary. He blushes when Ryan indicates he should be using the toilet for excreting and bathtub for washing.

The first thing he does is shut the door and get to work. Ryan calls through the door to use a new bar of soap and not the one that's already out. He also leaves a spare towel outside the door for Ray to snatch once he's finished.

At the breakfast table he eats slower than usual, stomach turning when Ryan tells Ray it will just be him and Meg at the store. He swallows another bite of his meal and calms himself. If Ryan trusts her then so does he.

"So you just stay home? I could keep you company..."

"You are good at that, I will admit. You should go to work though, Ray. It'll be fun and in a few hours I'll come pick you up again," Ryan explains. It's similar to what he'd tell a kid going to school, he realizes after he's said it.

"We can play darts again. Try to really eat me this time," Ray challenges, teasingly.

 

"Alright Ray, thanks for the paper I'll look this over later but for right now, here's your uniform. Change in the back and then come back to the cash."

Ray watches Ryan pull out of the parking spot. Both waving goodbye until they can't see each other anymore.

Meg clears her throat and Ray smiles, taking the shirt and apron from Meg. Taking a hint, he makes his way through the door in the back, studying the different things along the way. There are piles of foods he's never heard of or seen before.

The ceiling and walls are bright white but the floor has black squares on it. He asks Meg about it when he walks back to her but she just tilts her head in confusion. He wonders if. she's ever going to answer but finally she does.

"It's- It's just for decoration. Y'know, it looks cool."

He nods, understanding now. She takes the shirt he'd been wearing and sets it on the shelf beneath the counter before getting started. She takes him around the store, explaining the different fruits and vegetables.

It's fun to watch her get excited when he asks her where they come from. She says something about them being locally grown and a lot of other things Ray barely catches. He makes a mental note to ask her to slow down.

When they make their way back to the cash he asks her to take it slow with this part of the process because the minute she starts explaining he feels like his head is going to fall off.

"You'll get the hang of it in no time," is the last thing she says. He realizes she's stopped talking when a small bell jingles at the door.

Ray turns to look and Meg whispers that he should try out his first customer.

"What do I do?" He whispers back, a bit louder than her.

"Just say hello and go from there."

Ray rolls his eyes. "Hello. Why are you here- today?"

Meg stifles a giggle as the customer walks over. She gestures for him to ignore her and focus on Ray. He pulls his hat off and gives her a look that Ray can tell is defiant.

"Wow, Meg. You hired a ten year old? That doesn't seem very legal."

Ray takes the tone of his voice and his understanding of what the law is on his planet. He doesn't think twice before firing back offhandedly, "oh, do they not give out free haircuts to dogs around here?"

He had talked to the barber with the beard next door just yesterday. The man had told him all about their specialty with giving animals free trims

Meg cackles, letting out a "take that Michael." She pushes up off the window and hands him a basket. Ray guesses that Michael his name. It's weird sounding, like something from a story. 

The guy replies, "what the fuck? Okay fuck you too." Ray thinks he's upset but he's smiling so Ray figures he has nothing to worry about. 

Meg grabs Ray's arm and leads him over to the horseradish, picking it up for Michael and putting it in his basket. As he does it he hears Michael tell Meg, "I like this kid. He better be back when I bring company." It makes his heart clench.

 

Ray comes home after his first day to a Ryan that is a bit displeased. He had phoned Meg around lunchtime to see how Ray was doing and she told him what happened with Michael. She was giggling over the line but he was worried about the behaviour.

"Ray, have a seat."

Ray eyes him nervously, doing what he's told without any argument. He wonders what he's done to deserve such a cold tone from his friend.

He leans forward on the table, resting his head on his hands. Should he be preparing for the worst? Ryan is probably just sad before the game because Ray is good at darts, or because he knows he's going to lose.

"Meg told me about what you said to Michael today and although I let you say things like that around here I need you to keep comments like that to yourself when you're not in the house, okay? Especially when I'm not with you."

Ryan explains Michael's status to Ray. He talks about Michael's family name and Ray relates it to the power system. "Sorry I upset the town prince."

It's still cute when Ray says things like that but Ryan really wants to get his point across. Michael's family could ruin them if they aren't careful. He needs Ray on his best behaviour because now that he's living under his roof the kid represents him.

He watches Ray head to bed early, the promise of a game of darts forgotten. It's possible he had been too hard on him.

Ryan gets himself ready for bed, showering and brushing his teeth. He changes into his pyjamas and walks past Ray's room. He notices the shivering body under the covers and retreats to his own bedroom. 

Quickly, he pulls the large blanket off and drags it down the hall to Ray's bed. "It's supposed to storm again so let's stay together and get warm," Ryan says, climbing into Ray's bed and hugging the left side so he doesn't accidentally cross the line.

That hug with Ray after his bad dream had been nicer than any sort of affection he'd received in a while. It felt warmer and more real than the fond pet names he shares with Meg.

The last thing he hears before dozing off is Ray thanking God for Ryan not kicking him to the ground. He rubs his leg against Ray's to show he's heard and hopefully provide some reassurance.

For the first time in a while, Ryan feels needed.

 

The night passes with little distraction. When Ray starts to stir in his sleep he curls up against Ryan and is instantly calmed. It's as if he's being soothed solely by the touch.

He knows he moved closer to Ryan on purpose, but he wonders if Ryan knows too. "I'm doing this consciously," he whispers out into the darkness.

Ryan holds his breath, considering the probability that Ray forgot he was a light sleeper versus random sleep talking. The odds remain undetermined.

It feels as though only minutes pass between Ray's statement and the time they need to wake up. The sun peeks over the windowsill at the earliest hour it can manage, drawing Ray and Ryan from their slumber.

They drag themselves out of bed and take turns in the bathroom. Ray borrows Ryan's mouthwash and gags at the sharp taste in his mouth. He waits at the table while Ryan takes his time getting ready.

Ryan walks up to the table with an outfit draped over his arm. "Try this on," he tells Ray, not taking no for an answer when Ray tries to protest.

Ray heads off to the bathroom once again and changes into the borrowed clothes. The fabric is so different than whatever his normal clothes are made out of. He's instantly thrown into a better mood.

As if the day calls for good luck, Ryan knocks on the door to tell him that Meg called while he was changing and said he could stay home today. He doesn't question it, simply accepting that things have actually been going great ever since he met Ryan.

He opens the door and walks back to the kitchen, bare feet padding on the ground. Ryan's in the living room, he realizes, turning on his heel and flopping down next to him. They share a smile and Ryan's eyes trail over Ray's figure.

It's impossible for his breath not to catch in his throat at the sight of Ray in his clothes. The kid only had three pairs before now. His uniform shirt, the clothes from the rain and some short pyjamas. Ryan would offer to buy him some but money is tight. Selling to Meg and other shops in the area is his only source of income.

Lending him one outfit is the best if not the least he can do.

"You look great," he tells Ray, who looks away from the tv to acknowledge that hems listening to Ryan.

"Yknow I used to think of you as a cute kid but over time I've started to see you as just a goofy guy. I- think you're a really good person," Ryan says in place of what he really wants to say.

"You're pretty great too. I like being here. I don't want to leave," Ray replies. The last part coming out softer and more emotional than he anticipated.

"But Ryan, I'm not normal. I'm not from here," Ray continues. He tells Ryan about his planet and explains the curse, everything included this time.

He clutches the throw pillow from the couch, tightly to his chest and flings it across the room when he gets to the part about killing off family members.

Ryan takes a leap of faith. He's always been a bit crazy. "Ray, I knew you were.. different for lack of a better term, that first night I held you. Your chest glowed bright light, that's definitely not normal. Anyway, that's besides the facts that who you are or where you came from doesn't change how I feel about you. I mean that in a mate sort of way, too."

Ray reaches out, meeting Ryan's hand halfway across their laps. Ryan tells him confidently, "the curse won't affect me and I won't let anyone take you away if you don't want them to. I know I'm a man so it's unconventional but that works in your favor. We can't have children and my family... you don't have to worry about them."

Ray wants to argue or pry into what Ryan means but he can't bring himself to do anything else than release the laugh bubbling up in his throat. He's tired and drowsy but mostly overjoyed at finally having someone like Ryan in his life. Someone who loves him unconditionally and introduced him to interesting people like Meg and Michael.

"I love you," he says happily, climbing on top of Ryan and wrapping his arms around his middle.

Ryan lets out an "ouf," at the shift in weight but grins at the feeling of Ray in his arms. He returns the hug, content with just holding him for a while.

A few minutes pass and he wonders if Ray's fallen asleep. He tilts him back to look at his face and is met with a smile instead.

"I love you too," Ryan replies fondly, pressing his lips to Ray's cheek. He peppers kisses around his forehead, cheeks and nose. Ray giggles at the light brush of Ryan's lips against his skin, squirming on Ryan's lap. 

The blonde stops his kissing attack right in front of Ray's lips. Ryan puckers his own and lets Ray take the lead. Unlike other times when Ray was unsure about something he would go at it timidly, this time he takes the plunge.

Mimicking Ryan's puckered lips he presses them together and makes the "mwah" sound as he pulls away.

It's too adorable to handle. Ryan swears his smile reaches his ears. He always knew this boy was special.

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing something like this so feedback will be greatly appreciated!! Not the best thing I've ever written, I know. I'll probably come back and fix it over the next week or so.
> 
> Fic also inspired by Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club


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